Two
Elias was rather content with himself. He had managed to be in Monika's company for an extended period of time, cleaning weapons and keeping a friendly conversation. He had gone as far as accompanying her to the mess hall in time for dinner. Dominic nudged Marius when he spotted Elias with Monika and Elias could have sworn he saw them snicker.
"Kann ich dich begleiten? (May I join you?)" Elias asked as he gently tested the waters. Monika, for most of her dinners, sat with Taina Pereira and Tina Lin Tsang. She found his request to be a small surprise.
Her tease almost sounded hard. "Mit Frauen? (With females?)"
"Ich sehe Maxim mit dir sitzen. (I see Maxim sitting with you.)" he shot back.
"Oh, alles klar. (Oh, all right.)"
Elias felt his heart skip a little. He allowed Monika to lead him through the chow line and he followed her to their round table. The way Elias positioned himself had him facing the center of the chow hall with Monika to his right. Maxim sat to his left, followed by Tina and Taina. From the corner of his vision, he could see Dominic and Marius at an adjacent table to themselves. They kept close watch.
"Good evening." Monika said to the group.
"Dobryy vecher. (Good evening.)" Maxim replied back.
"I hope you do not mind Elias joining us today." she continued.
Elias felt all the eyes on him for the slightest of moments. Maxim gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Of course not. It is nice to have male company."
"May I remind you, Max, that you chose to be here while your brethren can only watch." Tina said with a soft shove.
"I am aware of that, kotenek. They are envious that not all of my attention is on them."
Elias instantly picked up on the tenderness of Maxim's voice, the affection behind it. He had known from afar of their relationship. Never seen it until now, hearing it first-handedly. Rainbow tolerated relationships as long as they were behind doors and not outwards. Maxim and Tina interacted much differently in the field, in classes, and in training.
Their chatter was small, more focused on finishing their dinner meal. Much like Elias expected, Monika spoke intelligence as she discussed the effectiveness of her new compensator. He was more captivated in the way she spoke with confidence, completely sure of the words she was saying. As Elias ate his meal, he listened. Every once in a while, he would spare a moment to glance at her.
A small paper ball impacted his neck and Elias instantly knew the culprit, turning his head a fraction towards Dominic and Marius. Guilty, Dominic had a straw in hand and the grin plastered on his face accompanied by a wink passed suggestions towards Elias. The German operator narrowed his eyes at him.
"Elias, is something wrong?"
The man turned his attention back to where he was, blinking twice as he reeled his mind back from the initial surprise of how close he was to Monika. "A-ah, nein. Everything is alright."
Monika briefly turned in Dominic's and Marius' direction. The two men were both sipping on their drinks. When she turned back, their eyes went to Elias.
Slowly, the chow hall's occupants left to retire to their beds. As Elias stood to take his tray to the conveyor, he set a hand on Monika's tray. "May I?"
The offer caught Monika off guard and she stared down at her tray for several seconds before nodding. "I- Of course."
He moved her plates and silverware to his tray, then set his tray above hers. Elias topped it all off with their cups.
"Danke. (Thank you.)" she said as she stood from her seat.
"Gern geschehen (My pleasure.)"
Much like Elias expected, his male teammates were waiting for him in their shared room. Dominic was leaning against the wall, a smug grin in place, as Marius sat on the desk chair across from the other Defender. Elias felt cornered as soon as he closed their door.
"Mein Freund. Do tell. How was dinner with the Ice Queen?" Dominic asked.
Elias almost gave him a scowl as he walked past them. "It was just fine."
"It was more than 'just fine', Elias. You looked so love struck." Dominic said with a chuckle as Elias sat down on his bed. The mattress groaned slightly under his weight.
"Gehen Sie piss weg. (Go piss off.)" the redness of his cheeks betrayed him as he took off his sneakers.
"No need to be brash, Elias." Dominic teased. "You enjoyed your dinner with Monika."
"And if I did?" Elias tossed a shoe at his comrade's leg and missed. Dominic pushed off the wall, mocking kisses towards Elias. "Hör auf. (Stop it.)"
"Genug, Dominic. (Enough, Dominic.) Let Elias feel accomplished. Tomorrow, you can torment him some more." Marius said as he rose from his spot on the chair and made way towards his bed.
Elias rolled his eyes as he removed his shirt. "Such friends you are."
"Admit it, Elias. You adore us." Dominic received a rude hand gesture.
Dominic only laughed before moving towards his bed, pushing the sheets as he settled comfortably.
Elias sighed as he laid back on the bed. His eyes maintained contact with the the forever embedded grooves on the ceiling, a sigh leaving him. The man smiled a little to himself as his arms moved behind his head to offer additional support. Sleep slowly settled, his eyes closing and darkness covering him.
Monika sighed softly, the toe of a shoe pulling at the heel of her other one. The sneakers slipped off and she aligned them at the foot of her bed.
Like her male partners, she shared a whole dorm with three other female operators. She shared the room with Tina. Beside their room was a Romeo and Juliet bathroom that connected with another room that housed Emmanuelle Pichon and Eliza Cohen.
Tina was not at the room yet. Monika assumed that her roommate was with Maxim. The German operator thought it was odd, how the two others could manage a relationship with a high risk occupation. At first, their relationship had been kept secret, but it became unveiled rather quickly. Higher levels of animosity, constant regard for each other, even in training simulations did they appear more synchronized.
The Deputy Director had personally spoken to Maxim and Tina in regards of their relationship. Monika remembered when Tina came back from speaking with Deputy Director Six. The Canadian woman was shaken just a little. She had agreed to keep the relationship away from the field and their workplace. The only exception were after hours. If Tina or Maxim went against the terms, both would be removed from Team Rainbow indefinitely.
It was a horror that Monika could not imagine. To have her career at stake because of another individual. Tina told her it was worth it. She and Maxim would never regret their decision.
Monika slipped off her jeans, giving them a toss into the hamper. A toe slid alongside the inner curve of her heel, clumsily catching her sock and pulling her foot upwards. The sock came off and she did the same to the other foot.
Strange it was. Elias. Her comrade spent half the day with her when he normally fooled with Marius and Dominic. Perhaps he needed a change in environment. Dominic tended to drive her insane, especially with his mischievous attitude. She did not doubt he did the same to Elias. After spending years undercover, she could see why Dominic was on the insane side of things.
A hand pulled the towel hanging from its rack and pushed the door to the bathroom. Fortunately, no one was occupying it. Monika pulled off the rest of her clothes, folding them neatly on top of the toilet's tank. She pushed her hair to the side as she started the shower, adjusting the water to her preference. Once she was pleased, she stepped in and sighed.
As she allowed herself to be covered in hot water, her mind recollected the events of her day. Elias presented himself in her thoughts. The man had definitely caught her by surprise. Normally, their encounters were short. Never more than just one hour or two. However, there was the simulation, the range, dinner. Elias had gone as far as the end of the hall where it forked to the male side and the female side of the dorm rooms. Their exchange was short, bidding each other a restful night, but Monika had a feeling that Elias wanted to say more. He turned away several seconds after she did.
There were a few occasions where Elias lingered around her, but not as much as today. Monika wondered why. The shower was finished before she knew it and there was company in the bathroom. The sink was running, Emmanuelle standing before it while she brushed her teeth as Monika stepped out of the shower. The German operator wrapped the towel around her chest, tucking an end alongside her breast. Emmanuelle pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth, spitting into the sink.
"Bonne nuit. (Good night.)" the French woman said.
"Gute Nacht." Monika replied as she collected her clothes. She stepped out of the bathroom and deposited her clothes into the hamper. Tina was at the door in a heavy embrace with Maxim. Monika could just barely hear them kiss. It was a routine, Maxim would drop off her roommate almost every night and they would take at least five minutes to say good night.
Monika had no desire to be spotted nude by the Russian male and stepped into her closet to dress for the night. She purposely took longer to dress, waiting to hear their room door shut.
"You can come out now, Monika." she heard Tina say. "I'm telling you to switch beds with me so that yours isn't in view of the door."
"But I would hear you complain about the vent blowing cold air on your feet." Monika replied back as she left her closet. "I would rather dress in the closet than have to hear your complaints."
Tina sighed. "Fair enough."
Monika pulled her blankets down and settled into her bed. "Gute Nacht, Tina."
"Good night to you too, Monika."